Key Terms Flashcards
What is névé
Granular snow consisting of low density ice crystals
What is process sublimation
The transition of ice to water vapour without the liquid stage
What is accumulation
The addition of snow or ice in a glacier
What is ablation
The natural removal of snow or ice from a glacier
What is the accumulation zone
The area of net gain in a glacier
What is the ablation zone
The area of net loss in a glacier
What is altitude
The height of land in relation to sea level
What is latitude
The distance North or South of the equator
What is permafrost
Areas of permanently frozen ground
What is cryohydration
Individual particles in the soil are split as a result of the freezing and contracting of water on the surface of the mineral particle
What is a glacial period
A time period when ice masses develop and advance to lower altitudes, characterised by a sustained decline in temperature and the formation of continental ice sheets
What is an interglacial period
A time period when ice cover retreats to the polar regions
What are crevasses
A deep fissure or fracture in a glacier
What is basal sliding
Large scale movement of ice as a result of subglacial meltwater
What is pressure melting point
The temperature at which ice under pressure melts (can below freezing)
What is extensional flow
Ice is moving faster at the front of the glacier resulting in crevasses
What is compressional flow
Ice is moving slower at the front resulting in a build up of ice
What is the process of abrasion
Small rocks within the base of the glacier rub against the bedrock
What is scree
A mass of small loose stones covering a slope
What is a tarn
A small mountain lake
What is nivation
The erosion of the ground and sides of a hollow as a result of continued freeze-thaw
What is a bergschrund
A crevasse that forms where a glacier separates from the back wall of a corrie
What is a moraine
Rocks and sediments carried and deposited by a glacier
What is supraglacial
On the surface of the glacier
